3 People We Should Listen To

A few days ago I wrote a short blog titled 3 People You Need To Ignore. If you missed it, you can click here to check it out.

But that begs the question: Who are the people we should listen to? 

Jimi Hendrix once said, "Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens."It's important that we not only listen, but that we listen to the right voices. Here are some people who are helpful to listen to.

3 People We Should Listen To

#1: The Truth Teller. We all need people in our lives who will speak difficult truth to us. One of the greatest myths of our culture is that when someone confronts us about a personal shortcoming or area that needs growth, they are overstepping their bounds. Proverbs 27:6 says, "Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy." Simply put: It's better to have someone in your life who cares enough to challenge and confront you when needed, rather than people who just flatter us.

#2: The Encourager. Life is hard. Life is messy. And no matter how smooth our life might be, there will be some point where it seems like there is no way we can win. That's why we all need people who encourage us. Don't forget to listen to the people who will build you up.

#3: The Investor. When it comes to giving unsolicited advise, it seems like we all have more than we need...or want, for that matter. But we always need to consider the source. If a person is deeply investing in my life and in who I am or what I'm trying to do, I always consider what they have to say. Why? Because they're investing in making me a better person. They have "skin in the game" so their words matter.

Winston Churchill said, "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." May we all have the courage to take time to listen...and the wisdom to know which voices to listen to.

3 People You Need To Ignore

Steve Jobs once said, "Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your inner voice." 

Edward Gibbon, an English historian & Parliament member from the 18th century, said "I never make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect." 

John, a disciple of Jesus said, "My dear friends, don't believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you." (1 John 4:1)

Jesus said it this way: "Pay close attention to what you here." (Mark 4:24)

Basically, they all agree on this: It matters who you listen to. The voices we listen to affect us. The people we regularly listen to shape our thoughts, opinions, attitudes, and life.

So who should we avoid? Here's a few suggestions.

3 Voices You Need To Ignore:

1. The Negative Nancy. Negativity breeds negativity. It spreads like wildfire. Be careful about being around people who are consistently negative. Negativity is a virus that is quickly contagious.
2. The Constant Complainer. These are the people who ALWAYS have something to complain about. You know these folks. The guy you could give $1,000,000 to and he'd complain that you gave it to him in $100 bills and not $20s. These people can quickly drain the joy, happiness, and hope out of your life.
3. The Gossip. The best definition of a gossip I've ever heard is this: People who talk about you, without you. Gossip always hurts people. It never leads to good. So don't be a part of it. In fact, here's a great test of whether or not you're listening to a gossip. Do the people you listen to consistently talk about others when they're not around? If they talk about them when they're not present, you can bet that they're talking about you when you're not around.

The voices we listen to help mold us into the people we become. Guard your ears...because in doing so, you are actually guarding your heart and life.